Dirty Dozen

And the winner — or maybe we should say, loser — this year is … strawberries. For the first time in five years, the popular berry has ousted apples from the number one spot on the Environmental Working Group’s annual report of the produce with the most pesticide residue — aka “The Dirty Dozen.” The nonprofit group also included a “Clean 15” list of produce lowest in pesticides. After strawberries, apples are number two, followed by nectarines, peaches, celery, grapes, …

Bite into that nice, crunchy apple and you’re also getting a mouthful of pesticide residue, according to the annual list of fruits and veggies with the most – and least – of the chemicals. The so-called Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists are compiled annually by the nonprofit advocacy organization Environmental Working Group (EWG), based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While the USDA has set limits on the amount of pesticide residue it deems safe, conventionally grown …

Remember your first car? Do you also remember your first computer? The odds aren’t bad that it was an IBM personal computer, the boxy device with the twin floppy drives and the green glowing type on its screen that was introduced back in 1981. While it wasn’t the first desktop PC, it was the first one many people felt comfortable plunking down $1,565 – $4,031 in today’s dollars – to buy, because it was made by an iconic technology giant. …